Aerospace Jet comments

[TJW]

Hello everyone.  I got my Aerospace back from Butch's watch tech about 3 weeks ago and wanted to pass along my impressions. 
The service provided by BWG is outstanding!  If you haven't experienced it and need your watch serviced, I highly recommend him.

I am an airline pilot by trade, and have been wearing the watch at work the last couple of weeks and have been truly satisfied by its performance in that role.  I have to say it is satisfying on a couple of levels.

First, the 24 hr dial matches the company generated schedules and FAA generated weather and flight-planning formats we use.  I would be embarrassed to admit how many times I glanced at my usual flying watch(Rolex Explorer I) and read 6 pm but had my brain interpret that as 2000 hrs.(remarkably easy to do at the end of a 14 hr work day).

Secondly, the historical aspect has really struck me.  I fly an airplane that was designed and built in the 1960's and 70's.  The very watch on my wrist harkens back to that analog era and was designed(it seems to me) to do the specific task to which I am putting it today.  I don't know to what task the previous owner put the watch, but I like to think that it has come full circle and is once again doing what it enjoys most.

Maybe I'm getting sentimental in my middle years, but emotion certainly drives my watch collecting, as I'm sure it does for you too.
Cheers,    TJW

[Butch]

TJW, as you may know, I have one too. It is difficult to adjust to it when worn and I have to wear it for a few days to settle into it. Then when I go back to other watches, it is almost as bad of an adjustment period! But if one wears it all the time is is a wonderful watch to use, as well as a nice piece of history.

That watch was made for pilots. It is quite possible that the fella that flew that plane the first year it was made, wore a Jet, or some other 24 hour model like a Glycine Airman.

[jon p]

people either love or hate the 24hr dial-there doesnt seem to be any in between ! glad you had good things to say about butchs watch repair guy--they are fantastic people to deal with--professional and attention to detail.i recently had them bring my GMT back from the dead--money WELL spent. he will restore my  one owner--me-- 1968 sea wolf. i wear my 24hr every so often but as butch said, it takes me a couple of days to get used to it without having to stop and think about what time it is! i put an original NOS zodiac/champion ss mesh band on it--looks fantastic and is comfortable. i picked up the band on bay about a year ago for 50 bucks.thought i spent too much until i saw the one thats been for sale for a while for 250.00. i really enjoy wearing the jet cause i love peoples comments who look at it and try to figure out what time it is!

[flyingdutchman]

Just to chime in...I have my Aerospace Jet out at BWG right now. Black dial, case in great shape. A full movement inspection,cleaning and timing,crystal replacement and case and band polish for 80 bucks. Can't beat it. It should return next week. I think I'll start an Aerospace Jet/Jet Aeronaut topic when it returns and we can all share photos of our little 24hr baby. FD

[jon p]

  another jet owner!! what kind of bracelet is on yours? mine had a leather band which i changed to a NOS champion bracelet that is ss mesh with zodiac folding clasp. REALLY looks good on the watch and is light weight to match the small light watch head.

[TJW]

Mine's on a one-piece nylon strap.  I like the security it gives since it threads through the lugs and across the back of the watch.  It gets banged around a bit in the cockpit and this way I don't have to worry about losing it if one of the spring bars pops off. 
Does anybody know if the mesh band was typical when the Aerospace was first sold back in the day?  I think that style would be a natural on the watch.
Regards,  TJW

[Butch]

Here is a picture from the 1966 Catalog.

[jon p]

  wow-it is hard to believe they were only 75.00 new! oh, the good ole days ! the bands look like stretch type-wonder if they were jb champion? great catalog ad,thanks butch.

[TJW]

Thanks for the ad, Butch.  I just got my first NOS expansion band on a 1960's Onsa manual wind and am surprised how comfortable and secure it is, so I can definitely see them having been offered on tool watches like the Zodiac models.

[zodiacdesign]

Hi,

I'm new to this site and I have a Aerospace Jet watch.
BUT the thing is I just fall off my bike and cracked the crystal....
Could anyone tell me please the crystal model type and size I need to replace it?

[jon p]

  welcome to the forum--it is always nice to meet a new member! your crystal is a common size, a local watch repair guy replaced mine for me about a year ago-i believe it was about $25.00 or less. if your watch needs servicing our zodiac official repair guy is in CA and he is the only one to work on my watches.he is the zodiac EXPERT!!  JON

[zodiacdesign]

Thanks Jon for the fast reply... :)

I was worried that I had lost the watch forever, but now that I know that it's a common size I am relived :) .

Right now I'm in Germany, wouldn't be home for at list a month and would like to repair my watch till then, if possible.
So if you remember the type and model number it would be most helpful.

And again THANKS!!!!!

[jon p]

since you are in germany you should be able to go to any watch repair shop and get your crystal replaced--i dont know the size but you should have no problem getting the correct size. it is a fast replacement, they dont have to take the watch apart, just pop the old one off using a special tool and pop the new one on. my repair guy did it while i waited. i was in germany in the army and you should not have a problem getting it done there.  let me know how you make out.   JON

[zodiacdesign]

Hi  Jon,

Thank you for the info.
I will go to replace it tomorrow and let you know how it went.

Have a great day.

[zodiacdesign]

So this is my latest update on my crystal replacement.

This post is for you Jon , so you would think it would be easy to replace it....
Think again I did what you said and went to a watch repair store but I didn't go only to one I want to 7 diffrent ones because some didn't know how to replace it or did not have the crystal and the last two I went to before I found the one that replaced it wanted about $70 and two weeks to do it.
In the end I found a guy that is a professional watch maker and he changed it for $18 and he did it in 15 min.

So thanks Jon for everything I now got a new and shiny watch Crystal :).

[jon p]

  yeah, a lot of "watch repair" people are nothing but battery changers and if you hand them a REAL watch they dont have a clue what to do with it!!!!! sounds like you finally found the right one--- that is what i paid for my jets new crystal and he did it while i waited. that new crystal sure makes it look good doesnt it. if it needs cleaning or repair use our forums repair guy in california-he is great on all watches and as an added bonus he is a zodiac expert.   JON

[Ultra-Vintage]

yeah, a lot of "watch repair" people are nothing but battery changers and if you hand them a REAL watch they dont have a clue what to do with it!!!!!

Unfortunately that is what has happened to the industry in the past several years.  All of the jewelry stores are going to "chain" type strictly retail locations with no watchmaker or bench jeweler to be found, just salespeople that cannot tell you anything factual about a piece unless it says so on the tag. 

Quite a few of the people that claim to be watchmakers are just untrained hobbyists that can do more harm than good.  I could not count the number of times that I get watches that someone else has screwed up and I am to work a miracle in fixing it to the condition it was before they took it to their local watchmaker.  Many of them cannot even change batteries correctly, I get watches that have had the casebacks warped or crushed by incorrectly using the press all of the time. 

And the people that take their watch for a battery change at Walmart .....all I can say is that they almost ask for the damage that occurs. They seem shocked when the clerk hands them their watch back in pieces and says they are not responsible for the damage but they still want to be paid for the battery.  Quality customer service at its finest!

[jon p]

how right you are!! i am lucky as i have an "its about time" store nearby that has a full time real watchmaker--a orential guy who is also the owner. he is a very good tech who has cleaned a lot of my old watches for me. my zodiac gmt is the only one that gave him trouble because of the weird offset canon pinion. i ended up sending it to BWG who understood what was wrong and fixed it.  all my zodiacs go to him now.  JON